It’s easy to see why January is considered the start of new things – there’s a fresh calendar year and a plethora of resolutions get shouted from the rooftops. This feels like a chance to hit the reset button in many areas of life. At this point, you can see the race has a clearly-defined finish line – and it’s 12 months away. Of course, for some people, January is really right in the middle of the action. Maybe you’re gearing up for your second semester and looking at a somewhat shorter distance to the finish line.

No matter the length of your particular race, though, it’s helpful to have a good idea of what you’re getting into. As runners will tell you, there is a vast difference between sprinting 100 meters and grinding out a marathon. From race preparation and strategy to gauging your pace along the way, you will benefit from having a plan in place before your feet ever leave the starting line. At Shepherd Financial, we believe financial wellness is one important piece of whole-life wellness. So while we hope financial goals are part of your plan (and want to help you set and achieve those goals), don’t stop there. Pause and think for a moment about how financial well-being could positively impact the rest of your life. Do you want to pay off debt? Save more for retirement? Increase your charitable giving? Send your kids to college? Travel more? We can help you create a plan and work toward those goals.

It’s also important to realize not all runners are built the same. If you’re a sprinter, don’t force yourself into strapping on a hydration belt to run 26.2 miles. Set yourself up for success by running your race. You may find it useful to set smaller goals with shorter timelines. We believe each of our clients has a unique lens with which they see the world. Getting to know you, as well as your strengths and weaknesses, is part of our process – if we craft a financial plan that doesn’t fit your specific needs, it doesn’t make sense to pursue it.

Don’t forget your running buddies! When you head out to pound the pavement for a few hours, it’s nice to know you have a support system by your side. Think through what you want to accomplish, then find the teammates who will encourage you to get there. Because our focus is creating retirement-ready individuals, our team is constantly producing new tools and educational resources. We love finding customized solutions for retirement plan sponsors, participants, and individuals.

We work in an industry focused on finances and future planning – two areas that can cause great stress. Our team strives to minimize worry, provide resources, and help each client feel equipped to achieve success, but that can sometimes mean working in a state of hustle and bustle. As we enter November and turn our eyes toward Thanksgiving, we’d like to slow down and highlight a few of our many blessings here at Shepherd Financial.

We are thankful for one another. Knowing how much we need each person’s skills and gifts, we feel so fortunate to work together. Each team member cares deeply about our clients, each other, and producing consistent, high-quality work. In the three years that Shepherd Financial has existed, we have experienced tremendous growth, and it couldn’t happen without the whole team giving their all every single day. We continue to challenge and encourage one another as we take on new roles and responsibilities.

We are thankful for our growing pains. As our partners moved from solo practices into a true team practice, we experienced our share of struggles and setbacks. Each problem, though, has allowed us to learn more about one another, strengthen our team bond, and produce creative solutions – such as customized videos, extensive fiduciary training, and e-newsletters designed specifically for either plan sponsors, participants, or individual clients. Moving into our fourth year, we are seeing incredible fruit from our hard work together. Because we have been through these storms, our successes seem that much sweeter.

We are thankful for our role in the industry. Our work has been noticed and lauded by several elite industry magazines and organizations in the past few years, a testament to the many ways Shepherd Financial seeks to innovate, implement best practices, and lead the charge for retirement readiness and financial wellness. Our team depth has really allowed us to see particular needs and move quickly to meet them. We are also thankful for both our partners and competitors in the industry – we are seeing positive momentum in bringing awareness and resources to underserved participants.

And, of course, we are thankful for our clients. We simply would not exist without you. Because we have the opportunity to work with corporations and individuals across the nation, representing a wide variety of industries and demographics, we gain new knowledge every day to better serve each of you. Our team has adapted how we communicate with specific groups of participants, figured out how to navigate different challenges, and interacted with many amazing people. We are truly blessed to partner with you!

Here’s to a season and spirit of gratitude.

–The Shepherd Financial Team

Indiana is renowned for its litany of sports legends. You’ve likely heard of fan favorite Peyton Manning or a trash-talking guy named Reggie Miller. Perhaps you’ve seen those little cinematic gems, Hoosiers and Rudy? And in the month of May, it’s commonplace to see Indianapolis flooded with spectators, all eager to witness what’s known as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing – the Indy 500.

Drivers complete 200 laps to try and win this 500-mile race. Their prize? It’s unique – winners get an ice-cold bottle of milk to celebrate their triumph at the Speedway. Yes, there is a monetary prize as well, but many drivers have claimed getting to drink the milk is the better reward – it’s symbolic, celebratory, and a refreshing end to a grueling race.

Here at Shepherd Financial, our passion is helping individuals and plan participants navigate their personal roadmap to retirement. Like Indy 500 drivers, many things are needed along the way: clear vision, endurance, and support from others. The process starts by asking yourself these questions:

·         How much money will I need at retirement?

·         Where is my retirement income going to come from?

·         How much should I be contributing today?

·         How should I invest my retirement savings?

·         What steps do I need to take right now?

It’s important to remember your working years are a long race, and some seasons may feel achingly repetitious. There are other times when, out of necessity, you must take a pit stop. Life changes – like having a baby, buying a house, or losing a spouse – happen and can feel frustrating (and maybe even like you’re spinning your tires), but we’d encourage you to use those moments to reset and refocus.

Ask for support and let other people help you. A driver may have a great understanding of how his or her car works, but their job on race day is to drive. Changing tires, refueling, and making mechanical tweaks are the responsibilities of the pit team. The driver simply needs to radio the crew and ask for help. In the same way, financial professionals can walk through the roadmap questions with you, enabling you to focus on your current race.

Visualize your end goal and think about what it requires to get there. Yes, you are striving for the monetary prize of funding your retirement income goal. But how will you celebrate actually reaching the finish line? What’s your bottle of milk?

Here at Shepherd Financial, we don’t like to make guarantees. There is too much uncertainty in life, people, politics, and the economy to promise we can give you peace of mind. (On top of all that, our compliance department simply won’t allow it!)

Rather than adopt a gloomy attitude about the whole situation, though, we try to live by some general rules of thumb when it comes to our investment management strategy. One of the most important is this: diversification matters. You’re undoubtedly familiar with the idiom, ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.’ Well, that’s diversification. It helps you reduce the volatility of your portfolio over time by spreading your investments around and limiting your exposure to any one type of asset. The goal is to maximize return by investing in non-correlated asset types that would each react differently to the same event.

Of course, you should take both your time horizon and risk tolerance into consideration when thinking about your own investment strategy. And don’t forget that your time horizon will change. A reallocation of assets may make sense for you upon passing certain mile markers in your life.

Now remember: neither asset allocation nor diversification guarantee a profit or protect against a loss. But they may help mitigate the risk and volatility you experience in your portfolio.

If you’re already a diversified investor, you may be wondering about this discrepancy: the market seems to be doing very well lately, but your portfolio doesn’t reflect the same high numbers. There are two reasons: how you are defining the market and the very function of diversification. If you only look at the Dow, S&P, and other domestic stock indices, numbers are up. But many other asset classes have lagged. So while it can feel frustrating to not capture those market highs, your diversified portfolio is actually doing its job. Because of its diversification, it will likely never outperform the highest returning market index.

An underlying thread in how we think at Shepherd is, ‘It’s part art and part science.’ Whether that informs the way we advise plan sponsors regarding the design of their corporate retirement plans or individuals with respect to their investments, we know each situation involves unique factors and considerations. We believe our strength lies in taking deliberate time with our clients to understand those factors. As true in the portfolios we monitor as in the clients we serve, we know diversification matters.

 

Before investing, consider the funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Keep in mind, investing involves risks. The value of your investment will fluctuate over time, and you may gain or lose money. Asset allocation and diversification do not ensure a profit or guarantee against a loss. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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